Opinion
4 min read

Rangers and Rockies Clash at Surprise: A Duel in the Desert

As the Texas Rangers prepare to face off against the Colorado Rockies at Surprise Stadium, fans are brimming with anticipation for what promises to be an electrifying encounter. The Rangers, coming off a series of preseason games that have showcased both their strengths and weaknesses, are looking to assert their dominance on home soil.


Sep 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Austin Hedges (11) throws a pitch during the eighth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

In their most recent outing on March 20th against the Cincinnati Reds, the Rangers displayed a robust offensive performance with 10 hits leading to 8 runs. Despite committing one error, they managed to secure an 11-9 victory. This win was largely due to a second-inning rally where they hammered out 5 hits for 6 runs. Their hitting statistics were solid with a batting average of .256 and an on-base percentage (OBP) of .31; however, there is room for improvement as they left 14 runners on base (LOB).


The pitching staff also showed promise in this game by maintaining an earned run average (ERA) of zero across both starters and bullpen pitchers. The bullpen's strikeout-to-walk ratio stood at an impressive 6.0 K/BB, indicating control and precision from the mound.


However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for Texas in previous games. Against Oakland Athletics on March 19th, despite fighting hard until the last inning and scoring four runs in the eighth inning rally which showcased their never-say-die attitude, defensive lapses didn't help their cause as they fell short by just one run with a final score of 7-8.


Moreover, when facing Seattle Mariners on March 18th at Surprise Stadium itself – which drew nearly double attendance compared to other games – Texas' pitching struggled significantly as evidenced by a high ERA of nine from both starters and relievers combined.


Looking ahead towards this upcoming duel against Colorado Rockies who have had mixed results themselves during preseason play; it will be crucial for Texas' hitters to capitalize early in innings while minimizing strikeouts – something that has been problematic given that they struck out eleven times during their last game against Cincinnati Reds.


Defensively speaking; maintaining focus throughout all nine innings will be key especially considering how errors have cost them dearly before such as during their match-up versus Oakland Athletics where four errors contributed heavily towards those seven runs conceded.


With these points considered; if Rangers can harness some consistency within both batting cages and pitcher's mound then fans could very well witness another thrilling victory come Friday night under Arizona skies.


The scheduled date is March 22nd at Surprise Stadium starting at sharp three past eight PM MST time zone. Fans unable to attend can catch all action live via broadcast network TXA-21 ensuring not a single pitch is missed from what promises to be another exciting chapter in Rangers' preseason campaign.

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